Automobile-track.



L. WILLIAMS.

' AU-TOMOBlLE TRACK. K, APPLlcATlON HLEDHJANAS, |916.

tion, an embodiment of my Fltl.

LOUIS WILL'IALVIS, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.-

AUTOMOBILE-TRACK.

maaier.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.ijatented Apri, 19.156.

Application 'liled January 28, 1916. Serial No. v24,8%9.

llashington, have invented certain new andl useful improvements in Autoinobile-rlracks. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements-Ain railway tracks which are designed to beinstalled in roads for the use of automobiles and other wheeled vehicles. The object'of my invention is the provision of durable and eliicient devices of this nature which may be economically applied and which will vnot detract from the appearance of a road nor interfere'with. ordinary trahie.

"Withthese and othervendsin view, the invention consists in the' novel construction, adaptation and combination of devices, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view showing in trans-verse vertical secinvention installed in a roadway. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a rail and the supporting member therefor. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of portions of two rail members, a coupling for saine, and showing 'the ends of tie elements. Fig.' 4 is a view partly inv side elevation and partly in longitudinal section ofthe track structure, said section being taken substantially through 1 -4 of, Fig. 1. Fig.- 5 is a transverse sectional view through 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of a rail, couplinnf. I l 1Referring to the drawings, the numerals 10 designate traclcrails disposed in parallel relations and at a suitable distance apart to accommodate the wheels ofa vehicle.

A rail .is rolled or otherwise formed to furnish ay section having a top portion with a relatively shallow longitudinal channel 11 between two side ridges l2, said channel and ridges being formed to mutually provide a top surface having a compound curve substantially as shown in Fig. 1. This surface is also formed with corrugations 13 which extend transversely, or nearly so, of `the rail to provide suitable `traction for a wheel. Theunder portion of said rail is formed with a centrally disposed rib 1li of dovetail shape in cross section and projects a distance below bearing surfaces provided upon the underside of the top portion of the ail at opposite sides of the rib 14:. The rails are maintained in spaced relations by means of tie members, each comprising a,l

rod 15 having integral therewith hooked elements v16 arranged to engage the adjacent sides of the-respective rail' ribs 14, while the remote sides of the ribs are engaged by hooked elements 17.' asclearly shown in Fig. 1. The elements 17 are secured to the tie-rods by being provided withholes /to receive the same and, after being adjusted. an element 17 is united to its rod by riveting the extremity of the latter against the bodv of the element.

The members of each rail are connected in alinement at their adjoining ends b v means of a coupling consisting, in its preferred form (Figs. 3 and 5). of a pair of i flanged or hooked plate elements 18 adapted to engage the rail ribs at thepbottom and opposite sides and are joined by bolts 19 passing through and riveted against apertured lugs 20 depending from the elements.

ln Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of rail coupling consisting of a single plate 21 having a longitudinal groove of dove-tail shape into which is inserted from its ends the adjacent ends of the rail members which are to be'joined. The aforesaidrails, tiemembers, and the selected of the/couplings 'are first secured in assembled position and.

after being properly located and adjusted, such an organization is sustained b v teinporary props or other means during the construction of permanent concrete bases or girders 23 under the rails. These girders are constructed in trenches provided therefor in the ground when suitable, but when necessary may be made in specially constructed molds or forms.

The v.material comprising the girders should be welbtamped to thoroughly embed the rail ridges as well as the 4couplings and the parts of the tie-rods which extend into the girders. 'Under such conditions the several elements of the couplings and tiemembers serve as chairs and act supple mentary to the' bearings afforded by the rails themselves with respect to the subjacent girders. lWhen my invention is to be applied in soft ground or in ground subject to bewashed out or otherwise disturbed, one or more reinforcing rods '24 may be advan 'tageonsly employed in each girder near the bottom thereof, thus providing a rigid beam structure whereof the rail and reinforcing rod constitute the top and bottom chords.

In use, the wheels of vehicles track without slipping in the corrugated rail channels which, being .of little depth, enable the wheels to conveniently enter and leave the same when desired. The exposed top of the rails and their corrugations are formed to present only curved or rounded surfaces and avoid liability of wheel-tires'being injured in traveling on or across the rails.

What I claim, is*

l. A track of the class described, comprising channel rails, tie-members secured .to said rails and joined by a rod element disposed at a distance below the bottom of the rails, and a concrete girder member under each rail and embedding the tie-members adjacent to the respective rails.

- 2. Altrack of the class described, comprising companion channeled rails having a longitudinal dovetailed rib at the underside of each, a plurality of tie-members, each of which isprovided with pairs of hook elements engaging the respective rail-ribs and connected by a transversely arranged rod, and a girder under which the respective rail-ribs and said hook elements are embedded. j

3. In a track of the class described, a rail provided at its top with a longitudinal channel interposed between two ridges and formed to furnish an upper curved surface, corrugations provided in such surface, and a longitudinal ridge provided on the under side of the rail, said rib being of a dovetail shape in transverse section and of less width than the rail.

4. In a track of the class describedchan .neled rails having lower portions of less widths than the upper portions, a plurality of each rail and withinl embedded.

6. In a track, the combination with the rails of a tieanember comprising a rod, a. pair of rail-engaging hook elements provided on the rod adjacent to each end of the latter, one of the hook elements of each pair being formed integral with said rod and the other elements being adapted to be secured to the rod by riveting the extremities of latter against the respective last-named elements.

7. In a track, the combination with a track-rail comprising a plurality of rail ele ments, of a coupling for retaining such elements in alinement with each other, said coupling consisting of two plates of hook shapes in transverse section for engaging the rail elements at opposite sides of the saine, apertured lugs provided on said plates, and' bolts extending through said lugs for clamping the plates to the rail.

8. In a track of the class described, a rail provided at its top with a longitudinal chan.- nel interposed between two ridges and formed to. furnish an upper curved surface, and corrugations provided in such surface.

Signed at Seattle, lVashington, this dav of January. 1915.

'l LOUIS lNILLIAh/i'f.

Witnesses PIERRE Balmes, E. PETERSON. 

